Reference
books
on local plants
Nathalia
Wildflower Group, Flora of the Nathalia District and Barmah Forest.
This book, partly funded by Parks Victoria, has been reprinted. It is
an invaluable guide to the plants of the region and is equally useful
in the Millewa Forest, on the NSW side of the border. Being a pocket
guide, many plants are, e.g. Banksia, are excluded.
M Driver &M Porteners: The
Use of Locally Native Trees and Shrubs in the Southern Riverina,
(available, possibly free of cost, to locals by phoning Greening Australia,
PO Box 1010 DENILIQUIN 2710 on 058 813 429) is an outstanding colour
booklet produced for land holders by Landcare, Greening
Australia and Royal Sydney Botanic
Gardens.
G.M. Cunningham et al: Plants
of Western NSW (reprinted I993 by Inkata Press). This book
is no pocket guide but an outstanding and comprehensive work of several
hundred pages.
Like the Nathalia Wildflower Group's book, this guide features coloured
photographs of the plants listed.
Fay Boyle,
Frances Cincotta, Dianne Davies et al, Indigenous Plants of Bendigo:
a gardener's guide to growing and protecting local plants. First
published in 2004, this gardener's guide was produced by the City of
Bendigo in conjunction with the Bendigo Native Plants Group. Available
free of cost to ratepayers, this is a must-have book if you reside in
the area! All Councils should consider producing a booklet similar to
this.
Several texts
cover the plants of the Bendigo Whipstick and the Box-ironbark Forests
found to the south of the region. The Bendigo Field Naturalists Club
has published a number of works. The VNPA has published a useful guide
to the plants of the box-ironbark forests.
Catalogue
of Goldfields Regeneration Nursery, Tannery
Lane Bendigo. This nursery has an extensive range of local plants listed
in its catalogue and sells a selection of reference books. Well worth
a visit if you live in the region. A colour coding system in the catalogue
distinguishes between Riverina (Northern Plains), Goldfields, and Central
Uplands plants. Open 7 days. www.goldfieldsrevegetation.net.au
Paul Urquart
and Leigh Clapp The New Native Garden: Designing with Australian
Plants (New Holland 1999). This book suggests ways in which
native plants can be used as part of a designed garden rather than as
an imitation of natural bush. Indigenous plants can be used along with
other native and even introduced plants.
Diana Snape's
book, The Australian Garden (Blooming Books 2002), also
makes suggestions on designing a garden using a blend of local and non-local
Australian plants.